Integrated personal humidifier system

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for temporarily increasing, on demand, the relative humidity of an area located proximate to a user in environments having lower than ambient relative humidity are provided by integrating a personal humidification circuit into a water delivery circuit to provide a diverted flow of water, and provide a flow of water vapor to a user, and returning the relative humidity-enhanced environment to a predetermined relative humidity by purging the environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus comprising:
 a personal humidification circuit comprising;
 a personal humidification circuit inlet valve, said personal humidification circuit inlet valve in communication with a water supply line; 
 a check valve in communication with the water supply line; 
 a personal humidification circuit water line in communication with the check valve; 
 a sterilization unit in communication with the personal humidification circuit water line; 
 a humidifier in communication with the personal humidification circuit water line, said humidifier configured to form water vapor;
 a water vapor line in communication with the humidifier, said water vapor line located downstream from the humidifier; 
 
 a personal humidification circuit outlet in communication with the water vapor line; and 
 a controller in communication with the personal humidification circuit, said controller configured to control a predetermined water vapor flow from the water vapor line to the personal humidification circuit outlet on demand, said controller further in communication with an aircraft databus. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the personal humidification circuit inlet valve is in communication with the water supply line, and wherein the personal humidification circuit inlet valve is configured to divert water flow from the water supply line to the personal humidification circuit water line. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the personal humidification circuit is integrated into an existing water delivery circuit. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the personal humidification circuit outlet is integrated into a structure, wherein said structure comprises at least one of: a cabin wall, a cabin floor, a cabin ceiling, a storage bin, and a passenger seat assembly. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sterilization unit comprises a source of ultraviolet radiation. 
     
     
       6. A system comprising:
 a water delivery circuit, said water delivery circuit comprising:
 a water supply, said water supply comprising a water supply outlet 
 a water supply line in communication with the water supply outlet; 
 
 a personal humidification circuit comprising;
 a personal humidification circuit inlet valve, said personal humidification circuit inlet valve in communication with the water supply line; 
 a check valve in communication with the water supply line; 
 a personal humidification circuit water line in communication with the check valve;
 a sterilization unit in communication with the personal humidification circuit water line; 
 
 a humidifier in communication with the personal humidification circuit water line, said humidifier configured to form water vapor;
 a water vapor line in communication with the humidifier, said water vapor line located downstream from the humidifier; 
 a personal humidification circuit outlet in communication with the water vapor line; 
 a controller in communication with the personal humidification circuit, said controller configured to control a predetermined water vapor flow from the water vapor line to the personal humidification circuit outlet, said controller further in communication with an aircraft databus; and 
 
 
 wherein said personal humidification circuit is configured to release an amount of water vapor to increase the relative humidity of air proximate to a user, said user located in a predetermined area. 
 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the personal humidification circuit is configured to release a predetermined amount of water vapor from the personal humidification circuit outlet to increase the relative humidity of air proximate to the user on demand. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the personal humidification circuit outlet is opened in response to a signal from the controller. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 6 , wherein said humidifier is located downstream from the sterilization unit. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 6 , said system further comprising:
 a purge valve in communication with the personal humidification circuit and said purge valve further in communication with the controller, said purge valve configured to respond to a signal sent from the controller. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the personal humification circuit is integrated into the water delivery circuit. 
     
     
       12. An object comprising the system of  claim 6 . 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the purge valve in response to a detected pressure differential. 
     
     
       14. The object of  claim 12 , wherein the object comprises a vehicle. 
     
     
       15. The vehicle of  claim 14 , wherein the vehicle is selected from at least one of:
 an aircraft; a spacecraft; a rotorcraft, a satellite; a terrestrial vehicle; a hovercraft; 
 a water borne surface vehicle; a water borne sub-surface vehicle; and 
 combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
       16. A method comprising:
 providing a personal humidification circuit, said personal humidification circuit comprising;
 a personal humidification circuit inlet valve, said personal humidification circuit inlet valve in communication with a water supply line; 
 a check valve in communication with the water supply line; 
 a personal humidification circuit water line in communication with the check valve;
 a sterilization unit in communication with the personal humidification circuit water line; 
 
 a humidifier in communication with the personal humidification circuit water line, said humidifier configured to form water vapor;
 a water vapor line in communication with the humidifier, said water vapor line located downstream from the humidifier; 
 a personal humidification circuit outlet in communication with the water vapor line; 
 
 
 providing a controller, said controller in communication with the personal humidification circuit; 
 locating the personal humidification circuit outlet in an area proximate to a user; and 
 diverting a predetermined amount of a flow of water from a water supply circuit to the personal humidification circuit to form a diverted water flow; 
 directing a predetermined amount of the diverted water flow to the sterilization unit; 
 sterilizing a predetermined amount of the diverted water flow to form a sterilized water flow; 
 vaporizing a predetermined amount of the sterilized water flow to form an amount of sterilized water vapor; 
 directing a predetermined amount of the sterilized water vapor to the area proximate to a user on demand; and 
 increasing the relative humidity of a predetermined area for a predetermined duration. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 integrating the personal humidification circuit into an aircraft. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 integrating the personal humidification circuit into an aircraft water supply circuit. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is in communication with an aircraft databus. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 purging the personal humidification circuit in response to the controller receiving information from the aircraft databus; and 
 reducing the relative humidity of air present in a cabin environment to a predetermined relative humidity.